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Shawn Thornton shifts from Panthers player to Panthers executive

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SUNRISE, FL - APRIL 14: Shawn Thornton #22 of the Florida Panthers prepares for a face-off against the New York Islanders in Game One of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the NHL 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the BB&T Center on April 14, 2016 in Sunrise, Florida. The Islanders defeated the Panthers 5-4. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Shawn Thornton

Joel Auerbach

Back in April, it became clear that tough guy Shawn Thornton realized his playing days were over with the Florida Panthers. That doesn’t mean he’s finished trying to help them succeed.

The Panthers announced that Thornton will transition from enforcer to “vice president of business operations.”

“Shawn’s work ethic, enthusiasm and passion for the Panthers organization is second to none,” Panthers president Matthew Caldwell said. “We are thrilled to welcome him to our executive team and know that he will bring the same level of professionalism, experience and leadership to the business side of our organization as he did in the locker room.”

From an entertainment perspective, the best thing to come from all of this was probably this prank, a reminder that rookie ribbing isn’t exclusive to players alone.

Nicely done.